The purpose of bail is not pretrial punishment. Bail is supposed to minimize the risk of flight and danger to society while preserving the defendant’s constitutional rights. However, requiring cash bail does not achieve any of these outcomes. Jurisdictions like Washington D.C. that have all-but replaced cash bail with smart justice reforms have seen better rates of court attendance and lower rates of re-arrest, all while satisfying the intent of bail without violating civil liberties.

#RaiseUpHawaii

Raise Up Hawaiʻi is committed to making strides towards a truly living wage for Hawaiʻi’s workers. In the most expensive state in the country to live, it is important that everyone earn enough from one job to support themselves and their families. Consumer spending is the engine that powers our economy and when people make more, they spend more; we all benefit. In the most expensive state in the country to live, Raise Up Hawaiʻi believes working one job should allow one to afford a place to call home.

#LegalizeIt

Over the past 40 years since Ronald Reagan declared the “War on Drugs,” the United States has fought a losing campaign to end domestic drug use that has cost one trillion dollars, resulted in over 40 million arrests, consumed law enforcement resources, been a key contributor to jaw-dropping rates of incarceration, damaged countless lives, and had a disproportionately devastating impact on communities of color. It’s high time we legalize, regulate and tax adult-use recreational cannabis.

Modern Elections

Efforts to expand voter access and modernize the election process, including policies such as vote by mail, automatic voter registration, publicly-financed elections and ranked choice voting, will restore balance to our democracy and put a check on the wealthy special interests trying to change the rules and write the voice of the people out of our democracy.